Kansas unemployment rate dropped to 3.8 percent in September

Oct. 21, 2017

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas reports that its unemployment rate dropped slightly to 3.8 percent in September but the state saw a small decline in the number of private-sector jobs over the previous year.

The state Department of Labor says the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month was lower than August's rate of 3.9 percent and the 4.3 percent rate for September 2016. Monthly unemployment rates this year have remained below those for last year.

But the number of private-sector, non-farm jobs was 5,000 lower in September than in September 2016. The decrease was 0.4 percent.

It was the sixth consecutive month with lower private-sector job numbers than in 2016.

But Department of Labor officials said Friday that the state is maintaining a healthy labor market that was stronger in September than in August.